Unravel My Heart
by HelentheTrueHylian
Summary: Right before Kaneki is about to lose faith in being rescued, Touka and Nishiki save him from Jason's claws. This is an alternate ending to Season 1, in which Kaneki and Touka realize how they truly feel about each other. KanekixTouka
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul! I also haven't read the manga yet, by the way, but the anime was amazing!**

"Kaneki, you're a fine one," Jason said as he took off his mask. "Do you know why I'm so particular…toward you?"

Kaneki's gaze had dropped to the floor, his body shaking uncontrollably with constant spasms. He could feel Jason advancing towards him slowly, and with each step his heart raced faster than he'd ever felt it before as fear gripped every inch of his body.

"I don't know if you realize this or not, but your regenerative powers are extraordinary," Jason said. "All thanks to Kanou's experiment. He made you a ghoul using Rize."

Jason was now standing behind him, his sadistic smile never leaving his face. Kaneki looked up as he heard his words, eyes wide open in terror and streaked with tears. The shaking just wouldn't stop. He could feel Jason's breath on his ear and his hand on his shoulder, picture his merciless eyes, unable to imagine the horrors that awaited him. Just how long would this excruciating torture last?

He couldn't bear it anymore. He couldn't.

Jason moved to his side and snapped his finger. "One eye. Rize's scent. I'm talking about you, Kaneki."

Suddenly, the young ghoul heard a crackling noise on his left.

"Do you know about the Chinese red-headed centipede?" Jason asked in his ominous voice. In his hand was a long, black centipede with a crimson head, as he described, curling and crunching up and down, side to side.

Kaneki's heart had sped up horribly and his body convulsed in panic. The crackling noise itself was enough torment for him.

Jason grinned. "I want to put this in your ear. You don't mind, do you?"

_No no no. Please don't. Anything but that, please!_ Kaneki's thoughts were going berserk. The only thing he knew was that the utter terror inside him was now stronger than ever.

"N-no… Don't…" he begged. "_Please_… I beg you… No…! _No…!_ _Don't! Don't!_"

The door to the torture chamber swung open with so much force that it almost broke off its hinges, and in burst a furious Touka and a fuming Nishiki with their kagunes activated. Kaneki's anxious eyes darted in their direction just in time to see both of them jump on top of Jason, who had dropped the centipede in surprise. Touka screamed and buried her fiery kagune into Jason's chest while Nishiki cut his back nastily.

"_Damn you!"_ Touka yelled. Jason recovered from his temporary stun and dodged her next blow, but Nishiki buried his blue kagune into his back once again, causing him to let out a cry.

_Touka_. Kaneki's eyes followed the blue-haired girl and watched as she slashed repeatedly at Jason, cursing every time in anger. Her eyes were black and red, and in her face burned an intense hatred unlike any other.

And yet she still looked beautiful.

"Touka, watch out!" Nishiki warned as Jason swung his fist at her, but she was quick and dodged it expertly.

Jason grinned. "Oh, I see now. Is this what you call an escape plan, Anteiku?"

"Exactly as you said it," Nishiki spat. "We didn't come alone, Jason. We made sure to clear your underlings before coming here."

"My underlings should be the least of your problems right now," a wide sadistic grin spread across Jason's face. "I will devour you…_all of you!_" With an unnerving cry, the ghoul suddenly transformed into a hideous beast as he revealed his powerful kakuja. His right arm was now a dark and thorned tentacle that could crush anything almost instantly. Jason groaned and swung over and over again at Touka and Nishiki, howling in rage for having been interrupted with his torture.

"What the hell?" Nishiki lunged for Jason but was kicked in the stomach, and landed painfully on the ground. A little blood spurt from his mouth when he coughed.

"_I will devour all of Anteiku!" _Jason roared as he battled with Touka, whose piercing red eyes were relentless in her fight.

"To hell with you!" the girl chopped off Jason's normal arm and managed to slash at his stomach, but it wasn't very useful because his true power came from the tentacle, and his regenerative powers exceeded that of a normal ghoul.

Nishiki blinked in realization from his position. "Touka, he's only an incomplete kakuja! He can't control all of his movements." He knew then that they had to distract him.

Nishiki stood up quickly and ran towards a syringe full of the Rc suppressant liquid that Jason had used on Kaneki, and he threw it at Touka. She caught it and gave him a nod. Then as soon as Jason charged at her again, she pierced his neck with the needle and inserted the liquid in his veins, to which Jason hollered.

Nishiki and Touka sprang from their spots and drove what would've been a fatal attack into Jason's body, had he not been so strong. But it was enough to weaken him. Jason spun around blindly, and the members of Anteiku used this to their advantage and attacked the tentacle, creating enormous incisions that gushed with blood. It was true that Jason was powerful, but he was too irresponsible in his movements and was dominated by his own anger so much that he couldn't be poised.

Finally, each tip of Touka's kagune dove into Jason's body, and after that Nishiki gave a final blow on his neck. Jason screamed in pure agony and tried to release himself, but his bones were already broken and could not regenerate.

Meanwhile, Kaneki lay on the ground with eyes half closed. He wanted to move. He wanted to free his hands and help Touka and Nishiki, but his entire body ached. And he was tired, so tired. The back of his mind kept telling him to just sleep and drift into the world of Rize, but he knew he shouldn't. He had to fight back. But how? He was useless right now, and hell, he was tired of being useless. But there was absolutely no energy left in his body to make him move, as if he had been completely drained of life these past few days in Jason's lair.

"You son of a bitch!"

Kaneki barely heard Touka's words, but his eyes only widened at the sight of Jason's detached head on the ground, rolling slowly in his direction. The half-ghoul let out a gasp as he saw Jason's body completely shattered on the floor, blood pouring everywhere. Touka was panting, one foot on top of Jason's headless body.

"T-touka…chan…" Kaneki barely got the words out, but it was enough for Touka to turn his head towards him. Her eyes widened and finally returned to their normal blue color.

"Kaneki!" Touka ran towards the broken boy, gasping at the sight of his hurt and cruelly mistreated body. "Oh, Kaneki…" Touka's eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them back. _No,_ she thought. _I'm stronger than this. I can't cry in front of him._ Yet her throat ached horribly and her tears stung at the back of her eyes.

Nishiki's face was aghast when he properly saw the boy. "I'll break his chains," he said with slight worry in his tone. "Kaneki, sit still." Not that he could've moved if he wanted to.

Kaneki gasped when his hands were finally free and he crumpled forward. If Touka hadn't grabbed him he would've landed on the ground. The blue-haired ghoul held him in her arms, his head on her shoulder. Touka couldn't hold the tears back any longer and they silently poured out.

"Touka," Nishiki said as he slowly put away his blue kagune. "Stay with Kaneki. I'll inform Yoshimura and others that Jason is dead before his remaining subordinates come crawling in the place."

Touka nodded and Nishiki fled out of the room, leaving the two of them on the ground of the massive room. It wasn't until a few moments later that she felt her shoulder wet and realized that Kaneki was whimpering, his body shaking once again.

"Touka…chan," he struggled, and Touka cradled him.

She shut her eyes. "Kaneki, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Her voice was full of pain, not even giving her time to be surprised by her sudden change in attitude. If she had been too late, who knows what could've happened? She didn't even know if should be angry at herself or hurt because of Kaneki's situation. "Just what did Jason to do you?"

Kaneki shook his head. He couldn't tell her. Not right now, at least. It was too awful to even begin to remember, and he had no intentions of ever thinking about these days again. What Jason had done to him was simply indescribable.

"We should have protected you better," Touka's voice was tight, her hand stroking his hair. "It was our fault all of this happened to you."

"No," Kaneki said, his voice cracking. He slowly lifted his head up from Touka's shoulder, until their eyes were meeting. "It wasn't your fault, Touka. Please don't blame yourself."

"How can I not?" she said, her eyes full of pain. "Just look at what he did to you." She closed her eyes again in sorrow, and her voice dropped to a whisper. "It must have been awful."

Suddenly, she opened her eyes in surprise when he felt Kaneki's hand on her cheek. She looked at him, startled. His tears were starting to dry, as were hers, and his hand was so gentle on her face…

Wait, what?

Touka's head started spinning. She didn't realize until now that she had been holding him closely and was not doing anything at all to remove his hand from its position. But why? This wasn't like her at _all_. _Maybe, just maybe…_

_No._ She shook off her thoughts. She couldn't like Kaneki, could she? That puny boy who couldn't get his nose out of a book. And he couldn't possibly like her either. She was rude and reckless and not girly at all, but deep down, she couldn't deny that she cared for him.

Maybe after being so close to losing him, she was starting to accept how she really felt.

"Kaneki…"

"Touka," Kaneki spoke, his voice still a little weak. "Thank you. For coming for me."

Touka blinked, and a tear spilled out of her eye. Kaneki wiped it off with his thumb, and she allowed her face to relax in his hand.

"Kaneki, I…"

Her words were cut off when Kaneki's lips met hers. Her eyes widened in surprise at first, but eventually she closed them and kissed him back. Suddenly his arms were around her, embracing her gently, and hers were around him. They kissed for a long time, both of them holding each other caringly.

Kaneki pulled back just a few inches, putting his forehead against hers. "I love you, Touka-chan."

Touka stared at him, unable to speak. Well, what was she supposed to say? Her pride obviously kept telling her that she shouldn't feel anything. But then again, why did seeing him broken hurt so much? And why did that kiss feel so special?

_Because I love him too_, her thoughts insisted. And she knew she couldn't deny her subconscious feelings forever.

She took a deep breath. "I love you too, Kaneki." Suddenly she felt her cheeks growing warm, and she groaned, burying her face on his shoulder. "Crap, am I blushing?" _Damn you, Kaneki, for making me feel this way,_ she thought.

To her surprise, he let out a small laugh, and Touka sighed in relief. At least he could still smile despite the condition he was in. With closed eyes, Kaneki kissed her head. Touka kissed his shoulder and allowed him to tighten his arms around her as much as he could. And for some reason, tears kept spilling out of her eyes.

"Don't cry, Touka," Kaneki whispered when he felt his shoulder wet, just as he had done to her a few minutes ago. "I'll be alright. I know that because you're here."

Touka shook her head. "You could've been killed," she lifted her head to look at him.

"But I wasn't," Kaneki said softly, and he kissed her again. Kissing felt so comfortable, as if he had been kissing her his entire life. Their lips were a perfect fit. How had he not realized before just how much he cared about her?

Kaneki actually had no idea just what had driven him to confess his feelings. His usually shy and reserved self was gone now, though he wasn't sure why. However, a part of his mind told him that maybe it was because he knew now that Touka had been the one all along.

"Let's go home," Touka spoke in his same soft tone when they pulled back. "To Anteiku."

Kaneki managed a smile, and finally felt some peace when he saw Touka smile too. "Alright."

The battle outside was surely coming to an end. Soon, this would all be over, and he and Touka would be back in Anteiku, where he truly belonged. Kaneki couldn't wait to go back and leave this hell. He wanted to help Hinami learn Kanji, to make it up to Hide after not seeing him for so long, to even go back to university and at least try to live a normal life. He wanted to snuggle with Touka on her couch and hold her closely and never let go now that he knew she loved him too.

Most of all, he wanted to go back to the place in which his heart had found a home.

**A/N: So, that was it! I changed the battle part a little bit because it had initially been too easy, though I mostly wanted to focus on the romantic part. If you have any thoughts or comments, don't hesitate on leaving a review! I really appreciate them.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Kaneki slowly opened his eyes, which felt heavy and tired, and had difficulty adjusting them to the light of the room. After blinking several times, he noticed he was in one of the rooms at Anteiku. There were bandages around his torso and limbs, and when Kaneki tried to turn around, he felt a sharp pain travel up his body and let out a cry.

Suddenly all of the memories of the past days slammed into his mind all at once, and Kaneki's eyes flew open as he accidentally replayed each scene with Jason in in his mind. Whimpering, he pressed his fingers tightly into his forehead and temples, trying with all of his might to suppress the horrible memories.

"No," he spoke without even knowing it, eyes squeezed shut. "No, no, please no…"

Fortunately, he snapped out of his mental battle when he heard three knocks on the door. Kaneki brought his hands down and tried to sit up, but after feeling pain again he decided to stay in his position.

"Come in," he called, and in came Yoshimura carrying a tray with coffee and something wrapped in dark paper that looked like food. He smiled his small but fatherly smile when he saw the young boy.

"I wasn't sure if you were awake," the old man said as he pulled a table nearby and set the tray down.

Kaneki turned his head to him. "How long have I been out?"

Yoshimura poured the black coffee into the cup. "Three days only. I have been examining your wounds and treating them with a special doctor, and they seem to be healing a lot quicker now."

Kaneki's mind flashed for a second to Jason injecting the strange substance inside his eyes that made him as susceptible as a human, but fortunately pushed the image away before he would lose it again. He couldn't allow himself to go back to those days. He was home now.

"Thank you, Yoshimura," Kaneki said. "Where are the others? Hinami and Touka and Nishio-san?"

"They're all waiting for you at the front," the old man said warmly. "Allow me to help you sit up."

Although it hurt a great deal, Kaneki was able to sit into a straight position thanks to the manager's help. And eventually, he was standing on his feet and trying to balance himself. He really didn't want to show up with bandages, but his heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing Touka again.

"Shall we?" Yoshimura motioned for the boy to walk. Kaneki nodded, and paced slowly towards the door, feeling relief that his toenails were back in place and not being cut off one by one. _No, don't this_, he kept repeating to himself with a shudder. _Don't remember. Don't think about it._

When they reached the front of the shop, Kaneki was suddenly greeted cheerfully by everyone.

"Kaneki!"

"You're awake!"

"You're alright!"

They all exploded into a chorus of happiness, and Kaneki couldn't help smiling. Koma and Irimi stood happily in front of the counter, and Nishiki got up from his stool with a smirk. Hinami gasped and ran at Kaneki with a radiant beam on her face.

"Onii-chan!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around Kaneki.

"Ow!" the boy winced a little, but smiled nonetheless at the little girl. "It's great to see you, Hinami."

"I'm sorry," she loosened her grip a little. "We were all so worried about you! I'm so happy you're safe."

"I'm okay, I promise," Kaneki returned Hinami's embrace. "As soon as I'm fully recovered we can get back to your Kanji lessons."

"But you have to rest first," Hinami pulled away. "You need to take care of yourself!"

Kaneki laughed. "If you say so."

"The girl's right," Irimi agreed. "You need to get some rest before you can get back to work. You seemed to be wounded pretty badly."

"I'm sure you'll be back on track in no time," Koma grinned. "It'll be no trouble for you."

The front door of the café swung open, and they all turned their heads to see Touka and Yomo walk in with some grocery bags. Touka nearly jumped at Kaneki when she saw him standing there, and a smile broke on her face.

"Touka-chan," the boy said, and suddenly felt his face grow warm.

"Kaneki." Touka sprinted towards him. "You're awake." She blushed a little too, Kaneki noticed. However, she quickly replaced it with a firmer look, wanting to keep her tough façade. "Geez, couldn't you at least wait for me? I just went out to buy you more medicine with Yomo-san."

Kaneki smiled and shrugged guiltlessly. "How was I supposed to know you would be out?"

"It's true!" Hinami said. "Onee-chan has been taking very good care of you! I think she's the one who has worried the most."

The two of them were definitely blushing now, but were soon saved from the awkwardness.

"Oi, Kaneki," Nishiki said with his arms crossed. "Don't get into any trouble again, you hear me? You worried the hell out of us."

"C'mon, Nishiki," Irimi rolled her eyes. "It's not as if he chose to be kidnapped."

"Yeah," Koma said. "What if _you _had been the kidnapped one?"

"I wouldn't have let those Aogiri douchebags take me in the first place," he said with a snort.

"Don't even remind me of my idiot brother and his group of assholes," Touka said bitterly.

"Sorry," Nishiki apologized. "Anyway, it's good to have you back, kid." Despite his pompous cover, Kaneki could hear truthfulness in his voice, and that was all that mattered.

"It's good to be back, Nishio-san," the half-ghoul said. "It's too bad I can't go out, though. I was planning on visiting Hide-"

"No way," Touka shook her head. "You're not going anywhere until you have no bandages left and your injuries are healed." However, she softened her tone when he saw the sad look in his eyes. "But we can get him for you, if you like."

"Please," he said. "I need him to know I'm alright."

The tsundere girl looked at him with sympathy. "Very well. That we can allow."

Kaneki smiled at her. "Thanks, Touka-chan." And to his surprise, she returned the smile with a new sweetness he never thought he would see in her. He sighed, dozing off the arising conversation with his mind on the beautiful Touka.

…

Kaneki was sitting on the bed in his temporal room, a book from the famous Takatsuki in his hands. He was interrupted from his reading when someone knocked on his door.

"Come in," he said, thinking it would be Yoshimura. He was surprised when it was Touka who walked in, closing the door behind them and walking towards his bed.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him. She sat on the bed with him, trying not to shift too much in fear that it might hurt him.

"Better than ever," Kaneki answered. They both smiled, feeling at ease in the comfort of being alone.

Touka placed her hand on top of his and scooted closer to him. "We really were worried about you, you know?" she said softly. "I know I was."

"But I'm fine now," he replied in the same tone. "And you're here. That's all I need." His cheeks went pink in less than a second, and he lowered his eyes shyly. _Why can't I just talk to her a normal boy?_ he scolded himself. _I'm sure Touka would prefer if I was confident or bold or-_

"Hey," Touka rubbed her thumb affectionately on his hand, a warm smile on her face. "It's okay. I love you."

Kaneki lifted his eyes reluctantly, but managed to smile back. Touka then leaned towards him and gave him a long kiss on the cheek. Kaneki put the book aside and wrapped his arms gently around her back, trying to pull her closer but hesitant because of his lesions. With a comfortable sigh, the blue-haired girl rested her forehead on his shoulder, and Kaneki kissed the side of her head.

"I love you too, Touk-" he was cut off when Touka kissed him unexpectedly, bringing her left hand to his cheek. Kaneki closed his eyes and kissed her back, relaxing his lips with hers and shutting out the rest of the world.

He had never imagined he and Touka would find themselves this way, holding each other and kissing. He could still remember the first day he saw her as simply a waitress, normal, and Hide had joked about how she was his date. He could also remember when he first saw her as a ghoul, fierce and strong as she was. Now, he knew a different side of her that he was sure she didn't show to anyone. This Touka was special.

After a while, Touka pulled back and they gazed into each other's eyes. She moved her hand to Kaneki's shoulder and squeezed it lightly.

"Is it okay if we talk about what happened?" she asked warily. "With Jason?"

Kaneki's smile was immediately erased from his face and suddenly he felt as if his stomach would lurch forward at any second. Touka noticed how quickly he had tensed and how uneasy he had become at just hearing Yamori's name, and instantly regretted asking.

"Kaneki," she said. "Hey, you don't have to. Not if you don't want to. I'll understand."

The boy was shaking his head. "Please don't make me remember, Touka. You can't imagine how horrible-" His voice cracked, and he squeezed his eyes shut again to prevent himself from remembering.

Touka's breath caught in her throat. She, of course, had no idea of what happened inside the torture room, but she could imagine it must have been awful. No, worse than awful. Horrifying enough that Kaneki wanted to permanently delete it from his mind.

"Kaneki," she whispered, and her hands went to his face. "I'm here. You're safe now. Don't think about anything you don't want to." She pressed her forehead against his. "Just think of me. Of us."

It wasn't until a few moments later that Kaneki managed to calm his heavy breathing and relax into Touka's gentle hands. He had been too close to losing it again, and had it not been for Touka, he would've found himself drowning in his memories. His eyes finally opened and he carefully brought his own hands to her neck, his thumbs on her jawline. He needed to know Touka was there, with him, breathing the same air as him. She gave him the security he needed to move on. He _needed_ her.

"Touka," he whispered back. "Please don't ever go." He brought his nose to hers, tracing her jawline with his thumbs.

"Never," she promised. "I will never leave you, Kaneki-kun."

Kaneki had never smiled so genuinely in his life.

**A/N: Hello! Here is Chapter 2. Thank you very much for reading and please review! Reviews are what keep me going!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**A/N: Thank you all once again for following this story! It makes me really happy! Here's chapter 3, and if you have any ideas or anything you'd like to see, feel free to post a review or send me a PM.**

Exactly one month had passed since the incident with Aogiri Tree. Kaneki's wounds were now fully healed, since his regenerative abilities were working once again. As soon as Hide found out about Kaneki, he visited him almost every day, something Kaneki appreciated deeply.

"_Check this out," Hide told the boy as he opened his backpack. During this time, Kaneki was still in his first week of recovery. "Takatsuki released her latest work yesterday! I stopped by the bookstore on my way here and thought you might want it." He took out a brand-new book, still in its wrapping, and handed it to Kaneki._

"_Hide," Kaneki said in awe as he took the book in his hands. "Thank you! I can't believe it." In no time he was removing the paper and skimming through the pages._

_Hide laughed. "I still don't know why you like reading so much. I tried reading a book the other day but fell asleep after the first page."_

"_You just have to find the right book," Kaneki told him with a smile. "How do you even pass your classes without reading?"_

"_Ha! You see?" Hide shrugged. "I don't need to read to do well." He sat down on the chair next to his bed and his expression became more serious. "Speaking about classes, when are you returning to university?"_

"_Hmm…" Kaneki stared at his book thoughtfully. He had actually forgotten about university, but he knew he had to return eventually. "I'm not sure at the moment, but I guess I'll enroll again as soon as I'm better."_

"_Awesome!" his friend grinned and gave him a high-five. "You better hurry up recovering, then. And please walk there, because I won't allow you to take the bus anymore."_

"_Hey, it wasn't my fault the other car was heading in our direction," Kaneki said. "He was the one who crashed us."_

"_Right, right," Hide nodded. "But you can't take any chances."_

Kaneki thought about this as he walked to Kamii University, Hinami at his side. He had told Hide he had been badly hurt in an accident while riding the bus, and Koma had taken him to Anteiku to recover. It seemed like a believable story, because there had actually been an accident recently.

"Are you excited, onii-chan?" Hinami asked him when they reached the entrance.

"Not really," Kaneki laughed. "But studying is a good way to blend in with humans, and I can't have Hide suspect any longer."

"That's true," the little girl agreed. "It's the same as what onee-chan is doing. I wish I could go to school myself." She lowered her gaze slightly, but brought it up quickly with a smile thinking Kaneki wouldn't notice, even if he did. "But I'm happy you get to teach me at home!" She looked at him expectantly. "You'll keep working at Anteiku, right?"

"Of course I will," he replied. "By the way, did you finish the new book I lent you?"

"I'm almost done," she said. "It's really good! I'm only missing a chapter left. Takatsuki really tells the best stories."

"Yeah," Kaneki smiled. "My favorite part is-"

"Kanekiiiiiiiiiii!"

They both turned and saw Hide dashing towards them and waving. He reached them faster than they thought and jumped on top of Kaneki from the back, throwing his arms around his neck.

"Ahh!" Kaneki yelped, and was almost crushed on the floor.

"Good thing I found you here!" the blond boy helped him up. "I saw you from the corner of the street. Hi there, Hinami!" He patted the girl's head.

"Hi!" she said. "Be careful with onii-chan! He was wounded before."

"Don't worry, Hinami," Kaneki assured her, adjusting his eyepatch. "I'm perfectly fine now."

"Aye," Hide put his arm around Kaneki's neck. "Are you here to enroll again?"

"I was on my way," the half-ghoul said. "Wanna join us?"

"Sure," Hide grinned. The three made their way to the main building and accompanied Kaneki to finish his papers, which fortunately took little time.

After that, they dropped off Hinami at a nearby shop because she had to run some errands for Irimi. Yoshimura had asked Kaneki to take her because with both doves _and_ members of Aogiri around, it was dangerous to go alone. Meanwhile, the boys ran some errands themselves the entire afternoon, and were carrying a few bags with them.

By the time they were returning, it was almost nightfall. The sky was growing dark, its cool air giving Kaneki a strange but peaceful feeling as he walked back home with Hide. The blond boy put his hands behind his head, bags and all.

"Say, Kaneki," he spoke. "I've seen you and Touka have grown closer lately."

"What?" Kaneki blinked, startled, and felt his cheeks start to grow warmer.

Hide raise an eyebrow mischievously. "So you have, haven't you? Ha! I never thought you'd go on a date after last time when you ended up hospitalized." He sighed. "Man, you do have some back luck."

"Tell me about it," Kaneki shook his head. He gulped. "Umm, by the way, is it too obvious? About me and Touka?"

Hide let out a laugh. "Everybody knows, Kaneki. I already knew and I don't even work at Anteiku!"

"Really?" Kaneki flushed red, to Hide's amusement. "But is it weird, though? Do we seem like a couple?"

"Hmm, not really a couple," Hide answered. "But you can tell there's something between you two. The last time I went-"

A sound coming from a nearby alley made them both stop dead on their tracks. Kaneki's shoulders tensed as he turned and saw three robust men in coats surrounding someone inside the alley, each holding a long weapon in hand which Kaneki immediately recognized as quinques. _Doves,_ he told himself, and his eyes widened in shock when he saw the person in front of them was Hinami. She was against the wall, the three quinques pointing at her.

"Hinami!"

Kaneki threw his bags on the floor and bolted towards the girl and the doves, who turned to him in annoyance and pointed their quinques toward him. _They must have followed her when she left the shop! _he thought. With a leap, he clashed his foot on the tallest one's face, and landed a punch on the shortest one. He hadn't even noticed that Hide had followed behind and was fighting the most muscular one.

Hinami was up on her feet instantly, her eyes fearful. "Onii-chan!"

"Hinami!" Kaneki yelled. "Run!" Suddenly he gasped when he saw Hide get knocked out by the strong dove, and he passed out on the floor. Kaneki then received a blow on the back, causing him to collapse and hit his head. But he was up in no time and returning the impact with his fists and feet.

"Filthy ghouls," his opponent spat. "The world would be better off without all of you!"

He was silenced by a smack that broke some of his teeth. The short dove swung his quinque at Kaneki with a cry, but to his surprise Kaneki spread out his rinkaku kagune, blocking the weapon and sending the two inspectors flying in the air and crashing on the ground.

The muscular one's quinque had also collided with Hinami's own kagune, but Kaneki rushed to them. His mind flashed to the moment in which Ryouko-san was killed, but he shook his head. _I'm not letting the same thing happen twice,_ the boy thought. _I refuse to keep being useless!_ With a determined glare, he drove his scarlet kagune into the dove's chest.

Behind him, the tall dove attempted to slash at him with his quinque, but was also blocked by Hinami. Kaneki's eyepatch fell on the floor, revealing his black and red eye, and Hinami's eyes turned the same color as well.

Kaneki succeeded in cutting off the limbs of the tall one, who died from blood loss. Hinami was able to injure the short one, but was out powered by him on the wall. And before he could stab Hinami with his quinque, Kaneki bisected his body with his rinkaku, and he crumpled on the ground with the rest of the bodies.

Panting, he turned around to retrieve his eyepatch but froze completely when he saw Hide on his feet, staring directly at him with a mixed expression of astonishment and disbelief. Hinami gasped, and very slowly her eyes returned to their normal brown color, followed shortly by Kaneki's single eye.

For a second they all just stood there, the ghouls' gazes locked with Hide's, as the gentle breeze blew around them. Neither of them knew what to do now, or even what to say. All Kaneki could do was feel his heart hammering inside his chest and sweat trickling down his face as he thought about how Hide must surely hate him now.

And he didn't blame him. What sane human being would love a ghoul, anyway? Ghouls, in their eyes, were merely killers. Soulless murderers who preyed on the defenseless and held no remorse. Why would Hide be an exception? His best friend deserved better.

He slowly took a step towards him. "Hide…"

"How?" his blond friend stared at him blankly. "And when?"

Kaneki sighed. He fell on his knees, and Hinami crouched next to him with a sympathetic look, her hand on his shoulder. Hide paced carefully towards them.

"Kaneki," he bent on his knees too, keeping a little distance from him. "Tell me, please."

The half ghoul lifted his eyes to him. "I never told you what really happened after my date with Rize-san."

Hide nodded in understanding. "I always knew something changed in you after that."

Kaneki took a deep breath. He was going to tell him everything. He owed it to him.

"Rize-san was a ghoul," Kaneki explained with a strained voice. "When she was about to kill me, some steel bars fell on her and killed her instead. I was taken to the hospital after that. It was there that Dr. Kanou replaced my organs with hers during my surgery, and now I'm both ghoul and human." He closed his eyes. "This is why I wear an eyepatch on my left eye. It turns black and red when I'm hungry. I have been taking refuge in Anteiku since then."

Hide looked up at Hinami. "Is everyone in Anteiku also a ghoul?"

She nodded, her eyes sad. "We all are. But we have no desire in hunting humans. Please don't think we're like the ghouls everyone talks about."

"She's right," Kaneki said. "Hide, the accident I had recently was not an accident either. It was a ghoul-related attack." He looked at his friend dismally. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth before. I don't expect you to keep being my friend after this. I just want you to know that I would never hurt you-"

"Stop," Hide interrupted him, looking at him firmly. "Kaneki, why would I stop being friends with you? You're still you. Even if all of this already happened, you've still been the friend I've always known. This isn't any different than before." He smiled, to Kaneki's surprise. "We're best friends, ghoul or not ghoul."

This was enough to let Kaneki's face break into a smile. "Thank you, Hide. And I really am sorry I didn't tell you."

"Stop apologizing," Hide stood up. "Let's take you home, now." He extended his hand towards him, which Kaneki gladly took, until he was also standing. He was truly happy that his best friend now knew his secret and was willing to accept him.

Hinami smiled. Being someone who constantly saw the good in others, she always had a feeling Hide would accept him, the same way Kimi had accepted Nishiki. She wondered if Touka would be able to open up to Yoriko, but then again, Touka was a different case. There was no doubt, though, that she was less heated than before after Kaneki returned. She sighed happily as the three of them made their way back to Anteiku with relieved and refreshed hearts.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, everyone! But here is Chapter 4. I hope you're all having a great summer!**

**Chapter 4**

Kaneki waved at Touka as he saw her exiting Kiyomi High School, and she smiled when she saw him waiting for her. School had just ended for today, and Kaneki had promised Hide he would take Touka out on an actual date. It was about time, as his friend put it, knowing Kaneki would be shy in asking her. It relieved him, however, that Touka didn't seem to mind this side of him.

"How was school?" he asked when she got to his side.

"Boring," she replied with a groan as they walked together down the busy streets of Tokyo. "I have to turn in another essay this Friday. It's not fair. Finals are coming, and suddenly the teachers decide to leave us a bunch of projects instead of giving us time to study."

He took her backpack and slung it over one of his shoulders so she wouldn't have to carry it. She hadn't asked for it, but she still thought it was sweet.

"Sounds frustrating," Kaneki said. "But you're smart, Touka-chan. You can handle all that. If you want I can cover some of your shifts so you can study."

"Thanks, Kaneki," she said warmly. "I might bring Yoriko over to my place so we can study together." She then paused and gazed forward thoughtfully for a while as they paced. "By the way, how's Hide? Did he really take the news well?"

The boy nodded. "He took it better than I imagined. He's still a little in shock, but he's getting used to it."

"Hmm," she said. "It's weird that you ran into doves out of nowhere. More importantly, it's dangerous that they knew Hinami was a ghoul."

"I was thinking the same thing," Kaneki said. "I was actually surprised she fought back so well. After the last experience we had in an alley..."

They were silent for a while, thinking about Ryouko-san's death. Every now and then Kaneki still felt guilty for that day. All he could do during that moment was hold Hinami and cover her eyes so she wouldn't witness her mother's terrible fate. And at the same time, he felt anger. Anger at the doves for taking her family and anger at himself for being unable to help.

Touka also remembered that day. She thought about Kaneki's words after she had decided to go after the doves to avenge Ryouko-san. _If you were to die, Touka-chan, I would be heartbroken._ Back then, she wasn't well in all her senses. Now, the words reached her differently. They were so sincere, so true in his heart.

"Be careful out there from now on, will you?" she told him. "We're being hunted more often than before."

"You too, Touka," he said to her. "I wonder what's going on that's making CCG send more doves to this ward."

When they reached the café, Kaneki opened the door for Touka, and they both went inside and sat on a table next to the large windows. The place was similar to Anteiku, and the coffee tasted almost as good. They both ordered a cup, since it was the only human food they could digest.

"Have you heard anything from Aogiri Tree?" Kaneki inquired after taking a short sip.

She nodded slowly, and wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. "I've heard Yomo-san talking to Yoshimura about this one-eyed ghoul, supposedly more dangerous than Yamori himself." Kaneki's hand twitched on the cup's handle. "They were referring to him as the One-Eyed Owl, or something like that. I don't know what it has to do with Aogiri Tree, but it's related to them somehow."

"Another one-eyed ghoul," Kaneki said in wonder. "Do you think he was also artificially made? Or was he born like that?"

The girl shrugged. "I wouldn't know. It seems strange to think one could be born that way, or at least I've never heard of a case, since they're so rare." She took a sip. "CCG is looking for this Owl. That's about all I've heard."

"What about Ayato?" he asked carefully.

Touka looked down and narrowed her eyes. "Damn him. He's as hopeless as he can be." Her hands clenched into fists. "When we fought, he kept calling me a weakling. But I'm sure he's just upset that I've been the stronger one when we grew up. I just can't understand why he would take the length of joining Aogiri if he wants to gain strength."

Kaneki sighed. "You know, I agree with you, but I think I understand him."

The girl glared at the table. "Understand _him?_ How?"

Kaneki looked at her sympathetically. Her gaze was hard, but he knew she was grieving him inside. She was grieving the loss of the brother she used to have, and the relationship they once shared. To see him become like this was probably more painful to her than he thought.

"When I was with…" he tightened the grip on the cup. "When I was with Yamori, I felt weak, Touka. I felt helpless. All I wanted to do was to get stronger. It's really easy to feel powerless when you're constantly seeing someone who surpasses you in every way, and there's no way you can overcome that person's strength. I think that's the same way Ayato felt."

He sighed again. "If you hadn't saved me, I would've probably done something stupid like joining Aogiri too, if that's what it took to be stronger. Don't look at me like that, even I feel guilty of thinking that way!" Touka's reproachful eyes relaxed after he said that.

"The thing is," he continued after lowering his eyes, "I wouldn't have done it out selfishness, or to protect myself. I would've done it to protect you." He allowed his hands to relax on the cup. "All of you."

Touka's expression softened. She reached out her hand across the table and enclosed it around his. Kaneki released the cup and entwined his fingers with hers, returning the affectionate gesture and ignoring the memories that were creeping up on him.

"You're not weak, Kaneki," she spoke softly. "You think you are, but you're not. I know you still don't want to talk about it, but I can clearly notice you went through hell in that room. And you made it. You've already become stronger without even realizing it." She squeezed his hand. "You're actually a lot stronger than you believe."

He lifted his gaze. "Do you really think that?"

Touka looked directly in his eyes. "I know it."

Kaneki was finally able to smile at her. She returned it, aware that ever since the incident she had been smiling more than usual. It was strange, but it felt nice. It was as if she was discovering a new part of herself, or a new part of her heart.

"_Trés bien!"_

Kaneki stirred in his chair and widened his eyes in alarm at the sound of the familiar voice. Touka groaned in annoyance, pulling back her hand, and they both turned their heads to see that Tsukiyama had entered the café fabulously. He was in no time next to their table, unfortunately. With his bright red suit and gestures he inevitably stood out from the crowd.

"How strange to find you here, Kaneki," he said with his conceited smile. "I thought you belonged to Anteiku, or are you switching cafés?"

"Get lost, Tsukiyama," Touka spat. "Don't pretend we're friends now."

"I just wanted to make sure my dear friend Kaneki was alright after the battle," he expressed. "After all, I helped rescue him with you. We might as well consider each other friends now, don't you think, Kirishima-san?"

"But that doesn't make up for the fact that _you tried to eat him_," she reminded him angrily.

"So many hard feelings," he said with an exaggerated sigh. "I thought we were beyond those past resentments."

"Tsukiyama-san," Kaneki said. "Touka's right. There's no reason for you to be here. I've already recovered."

"_Oui,_ I can see I was of help!" the gourmet man replied. "We must go out together one day the way we used to, remember, Kaneki? Discussing literature and fine works. That would be certainly _magnifique._"

Kaneki blinked. "But that only happened for one day…"

"There's no way in hell I'm letting Kaneki alone with you," Touka said spitefully.

"Ah, I did notice your blooming romance when I came here," Tsukiyama told them, and Kaneki felt his cheeks warm. "I understand you're jealous that I might steal Kaneki from you, Touka. But never worry, I only borrow continuously, not steal."

"What the-" Touka scoffed. "That's the _least_ of my problems when I know you might try to kill us both again!"

"We should go, Touka-chan," Kaneki was already taking a bill out of his wallet to pay for both coffees. "Our shift starts in twenty minutes." He really couldn't bear being in the same place as that freak right now. Touka stood up at his cue, and they both walked past Tsukiyama.

"How sad that you leave so soon," the purple-haired ghoul said. "You'll be in my thoughts, Kaneki." He smiled at the boy unnervingly. Kaneki looked away, and he and Touka exited the café quickly.

"I can't believe he spoiled our date," Touka said when they were out. "How is it he always shows up at the wrong time?"

"Don't think about him," Kaneki said. He took her hand again. "We can go out another time."

"We sure will," she agreed, feeling happy that things were finally starting to look positive. Kaneki was healthy again, Hide had accepted him, and she herself had changed for the better. But still, there was something small bothering her, as if this new peace was too good to be true, or as if she knew trouble would find them no matter what they did. However, Touka brushed the unpleasant thoughts away before they could finish forming themselves. She grasped Kaneki's hand, and they walked back to Anteiku together.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi, everyone! It's been a long, long while. I've been dealing with school and college applications lately, but I finally found some time to write a new chapter. Thank you for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 5**

Kaneki woke up to the sound of his own screams. His body shook, sweating, turning over and over from side to side as he fought his internal battle, and when he finally opened his eyes he let out a gasp. He stared up at the ceiling, still quivering, trying to calm down his heavy breathing. But how? After seeing those images again, how could he possibly relax?

Touka was bursting through his door a few seconds later, rushing towards the panting boy as he tried with all his might to erase the replaying scenes in his head.

"Kaneki," she gasped, sitting on the chair next to his bed. Her heart raced when she saw him and she placed her hand on his arm worriedly. "Kaneki, it's okay. It's over."

Kaneki shut his eyes and his hands went to his face. He saw needles, wrenches, and hammers everywhere. Felt Jason ripping out his fingernails and toenails. The memories were so unbearable he didn't think he would handle them for much longer. It wasn't the first time his nights had been filled with nightmares and his days with flashbacks, but every once in a while they would come with so much force he thought he would break.

Both of Touka's hands were on his arm, removing it gently from his face, and then her left hand cupped his face. "I'm here, Kaneki. It's alright." She knew it wasn't easy for him, but she always comforted him the same way she had since she found him in Jason's lair. After a few more soothing words Kaneki's trembling decreased, until he was holding Touka's hand and resting it on his chest. His breathing and heartbeat slowed down and he timidly looked up at her eyes.

"I'm sorry I woke you, Touka," he spoke. "I wish I wouldn't cause you so much trouble."

The girl shook her head. "Are you crazy? You shouldn't worry about me. It's _you _we're worried about." She sighed, closing her eyes. "It hurts to see you this way, Kaneki. I wish there was something I could do to help."

Lately, Touka had been spending several nights at Anteiku because she was finishing work later than usual. Yoshimura had asked that at least one of them stay up later and watch the shop just in case any doves showed up, so whoever stayed took one of the vacant rooms at the back. Because of that, this wasn't the first time Touka had been woken up by Kaneki.

Kaneki managed to smile a little with all his strength. "They go away when you're here."

"The nightmares?" she asked with a softened tone, and he nodded. She returned the smile, but with a hint of sadness in it. Even during these difficult moments, he never ceased to surprise her with the strength he drew as an attempt to ease her worry. But how could she not worry? He was still tormented by those days, and although he had recovered well and his flashbacks were less frequent, they would always appear some way or another.

Removing her hand from his chest, Kaneki slowly sat up so he was in the same eye level as her. To this day he still wondered how her mere presence could have such a drastic effect on him, scaring away his uneasy thoughts simply by being in the same room as him. Inside, he wished he would make her feel the same way.

"Trust me, Touka-chan," he said warmly. "I really am getting better. It's just, sometimes it all comes back, and I can't help it."

Touka moved closer to him, sitting almost at the edge of her chair. "I know, Kaneki. It's not your fault. Stop blaming yourself for being a victim." _Really, Kaneki,_ she thought. _There are so many things you don't realize._

He remained silent for a few moments, lowering his gaze and pondering over something. Touka looked at him, waiting, knowing he needed time to organize his thoughts and assimilate whatever was going through his head. This was a side of him she had learned to understand with time. Having her rough personality, Touka always questioned why Kaneki preferred to spend time going over his thoughts, because it was never something she did herself. But if it was important to him, then so be it.

He finally looked up at her again. "I think it's time for me to tell you what happened."

Slowly, Touka's eyes began to widen. She looked directly into his own dark eyes. "Are you sure about this?"

Kaneki took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was about to come. "Yeah. It's time for you to know."

He wasn't bursting with confidence, but he definitely wasn't as scared as before. So he told her everything: the kidnapping, the torture, the couple that was killed in front of him, Rize's constant intervention, and everything else that happened. During his narration, Touka remained silent and attentive, trying her best to keep her face composed. However, at the end, she couldn't take it anymore.

The girl's hands curled into fists. She grit her teeth and cursed, shutting her eyes as the rage filled her. "I can't believe it," she choked out. "Kaneki…" Against her will, tears were beginning to push her eyes open, tears of anger at the cruelty of Yamori. "I never imagined…" Again, her words were cut off when she felt her throat begin to ache.

She sat next to him on the bed, unaware that her own body was shaking now, and Kaneki's arms embraced her tightly. No wonder Kaneki had wanted to keep this from her. The suffering he endured, the excruciating pain caused by his kidnapper, and the helplessness and loneliness he must have felt, it was all too much for her to wrap her head around. She should've _known_ it had been that horrible. But then again, there was no way for her to imagine it. Not until Kaneki had described every detail to her.

"Touka-chan," Kaneki said softly. "I promise, you don't have to worry anymore. We're together, and that's what matters."

She hugged the half-ghoul just as tightly. "I just, I had no idea-"

"I know," he pulled away a little so he could look at her. "And that's fine. I wouldn't have told you if I wasn't ready to talk about it."

"But _still_," she insisted. "A delicate subject shouldn't be taken lightly. To think you had to go through that…" She had never had so much trouble finding words, not until now. At least she knew she hadn't been wrong when she told Kaneki he had become stronger.

Kaneki caringly placed his hand on her face. His palm pushed her blue hair away from her face so that it wasn't covering her eye anymore, and he stroked her forehead with his thumb. Feeling exposed, Touka averted her gaze from him, looking down quickly while he contemplated her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, trying to convey an annoyed tone. But Kaneki just smiled.

"I just wanted to see your eyes," he answered shyly, and felt his cheeks flush a little. "They're really beautiful." He was grateful the room was dark and she wasn't able to see him change color, but he didn't realize that Touka was blushing too.

"Don't try to change the subject now," she said, but feeling Kaneki's gaze on her, she lifted her eyes slightly, barely. It was enough for Kaneki to see how their blue color shone under the small amount of moonlight that streamed through the window.

"That wasn't so hard," he said with his smile, and Touka blushed again.

"I'm not used to it," the girl told him. "That's all." Still, Kaneki couldn't understand why she would even try to hide such beauty. His eyes then moved from hers and for a while lingered on her lips.

Touka, noticing this, slowly leaned in and kissed him. She knew that Kaneki's small moments of confidence were not always there. Sometimes, he would drop his shyness and kiss her without hesitation. But other times, like this one, he reverted to his usual self, probably because he had just revealed something personal and was feeling vulnerable again. Now Touka knew that Kaneki trusted her more than she thought.

"Will you be okay?" she said when they had pulled away. "Will you be able to sleep?"

"Sure," he replied. "It's always hard for me to fall asleep after a nightmare, though. But eventually I can."

Touka knew well enough that she saw the small shift of fear in his look that was gone as quickly as it had come. There he went, putting up an armor to hide the fact that he was still scared of falling asleep. Of course he would.

"If you want," she said. "I can stay with you tonight." Kaneki's arms stiffened a little around her, and she laughed. "_Relax._ I meant that I can sleep next to you, if that'll make sleeping easier."

"Oh," he sighed, actually relaxing. "I guess, if it doesn't bother you." He actually really wanted to, now that he thought of it. And not because he wanted it the wrong way, like most people did, but because he really just wanted to be with her. With her, he was stronger. His mind and spirit were calm. Besides, he didn't dare try anything.

Kaneki moved to the side to make room for her and she crawled next to him, feeling glad that they both fit despite the bed being small. They lay down next to each other, Touka snuggling close to him and Kaneki embracing her with his arm. This was all he needed. He needed Touka's warmth close to him to feel her comfort and her love, listening to her soft breathing and feeling her chest gently lift up and down with it. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes, letting sleep finally take over him.

It was the most peaceful night he had ever slept.

…

Nishiki raised a suspicious eyebrow at the table next to the large window of Anteiku, where Kaneki and Touka were chatting lively.

He turned to Koma, who was pouring two cups of coffee for another table. "What do you think those two were doing last night?"

The "Devil Ape" put down the pot on the counter at his coworker's question. "Why do you ask?"

"'Cause I arrived early today and went to look for Touka so she could give me the keys to the storage room," Nishiki answered. "And I saw her getting out of Kaneki's room." He shook his head in disappointed. "Looks like that kid isn't as innocent as I thought."

Koma let out a laugh. "Don't jump to conclusions. Kaneki isn't that type of boy. And if something happened you should be glad Touka's with him and not with a jerk."

"That's right." They both turned to Irimi, who had moved next to them and placed a tray with used cups in front of her. A warm smile was on her face. "Touka deserves a good man in her life."

Nishiki rolled his eyes. "You call _him_ a man? Then why do he and his blonde friend still seem like kids to me?"

"He's eighteen, Nishiki," Irimi reminded him, but her smile erased gradually as she spoke. "And after what happened with Aogiri, he was forced to grow up too fast, after all."

"He grew up before that," Koma said, sharing her same feelings. "Ever since he became a ghoul he got thrown into this mess."

When he said this, Nishiki felt a very small wave of sympathy stir inside him. He thought back to when he told Kimi that he was a ghoul, remembering how he was sure she would reject him for being a monster. But she didn't. Like Kaneki, she was introduced to a world of ghouls, even kidnapped by Tsukiyama because she was his girlfriend. Even if he wasn't very fond of Kaneki, he did admit he didn't wish for something similar to happen to him.

"Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right," he said in defeat, and fixed his glasses with his index. "I just hope they don't get into any sort of trouble again." He turned and walked back to the kitchen, the other ghouls looking at each other knowingly.

After a while, Irimi sighed amiably. "Those two have a long life ahead of them," she said, looking contently at the happy couple sitting in front of them. Despite their sufferings and troubles, Kaneki and Touka gave her hope that it was still possible to find happiness in this life.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Oi, Kaneki!" Hide called from the door of the Anteiku café, giving him a wave. "Hurry up or we'll leave you behind!"

"Coming!" Kaneki rushed to put away his uniform after he had changed and threw on a coat, almost tripping on the way to the door to meet him, Touka, and Hinami. They called goodbye to his coworkers and shut the door behind them, walking together through the streets of Tokyo.

The snow was falling very lightly. The ground was full of it, but there were only tiny snowflakes accompanying them on their way to the local shrine in that part of the city. Undoubtedly, the last few months had been full of both pleasant and unpleasant surprises for them all, and the ghouls were sure this year would be no exception. However, Kaneki knew these surprises would be a lot better.

"Why were you taking so long, onii-chan?" Hinami asked. "Didn't you remember we have to be there early?"

"It's going to be teeming with people very soon," Touka stated. "But I guess we're early enough."

"Right," Kaneki nodded, smiling apologetically. "I guess I should've gotten up earlier."

"C'mon, don't beat yourself up over it," Hide threw his arm across Kaneki's neck, ignoring the small choking sound made by the half-ghoul. He lowered his voice as if he were telling him a secret, a mischievous smile playing on the corner of his lip. "So, what are you going to pray for at the shrine? A long, romantic life with Touka full of joy and tiny ghoul babies?"

"Wha-?" Kaneki shook himself from his grip, a stunned look on his face. "No! I mean, not exactly. But it's not what you're thinking! Don't laugh at me, Hide."

He gave up because his blonde friend was already cracking up, the two girls simply staring at him as if he had a missing screw. They had long ago gotten used to his antics, though. Kaneki was already feeling a blush creeping up on him, hoping Touka hadn't heard what he had said.

"Don't look so alarmed," Hide said. "I was just kidding. You gotta relax a little!"

Touka just shook her head. "I don't know what's going on with you two. But Kaneki, don't listen to anything this baka says. He's just messing with you."

Kaneki assured her he wouldn't let it get to him. They moved further towards their destination and after a few minutes, Hinami smiled widely and pointed forward.

"There's the shrine!" she exclaimed, and she turned to Kaneki. "Onii-chan, I can read the letters of the sign!"

"That's great, Hinami-chan," Kaneki smiled at her. "You'll be able to read everything if you keep practicing."

"I'm practicing every day," she said happily, and looked forward again. "Looks like the place is already getting full."

Indeed, the crowd was larger than how they imagined it. The date was January 1st, after all, and everyone wanted to say their prayers to greet the New Year. Kaneki was sure of what he was going to pray for already, which did have a little to do with Hide's joke. Though, he couldn't help but wonder if Touka would ask for something similar.

"This line is so looong," Hide complained as they waited for their turn. "We should've come here at midnight."

"You were the one who fell asleep before eleven," Touka reminded him with a frown.

Hinami sighed in reminiscence. "The fireworks were so pretty last night. You wouldn't have missed them if you had stayed awake."

Kaneki nodded in agreement. "Besides, there was coffee everywhere. How did you not stay awake?"

"I don't think coffee keeps me up anymore," Hide said. "It's all I drink now because of you guys."

Ignoring a rising argument between Hide and Touka, Kaneki took in the scenery before him. He realized he felt strange. He was certain that many of the faces around him were faces he had seen before, all normal humans from a world he used to be part of. Frequent clients of Anteiku, old classmates from his old high school, current classmates from his university, people he usually saw at the bookstore, and so on.

For the first time, he remembered what "normal" felt like. He wasn't worrying about doves, or Aogiri Tree, or his former threats, or even his grades. Just being with his friends and hearing them laugh was his new source of happiness, one especially caused by Touka. Now that he thought of it, it was really nice. Although he wasn't sure when things had gotten this way again, he knew he wanted to enjoy every moment of it.

"We're finally up," Touka smiled when there were no more people in front of them. "Let's go."

There was room for four, so they each went to a spot of the shrine, placing their palms together in the form of a prayer. Kaneki closed his eyes. After giving his thanks for the good things he experienced, he prayed, _All I want is to keep the new family I've made here, with Touka, Hide, Hinami, Yoshimura, Nishio, Yomo, Irimi, and Koma. Please make Anteiku my home forever, a home safe of danger, and peace for ghouls. And please let me be by Touka's side forever. She's the brightest light in my life._

That was all Kaneki wanted. He wanted to stop fighting or having enemies the way he used to, having to be wary of every step he took. Now he had found happiness, something he thought would be impossible in his new life as a half-ghoul. He was more than sure there good things awaiting for him this year. With that, he exited the shrine with his friends.

"Let's check our fortune," Hide said as soon as everyone had their strip of paper in hand. They each unfolded their papers on their way to the shrine entrance, Hide being the first one to read through his. "Huh, average luck. How about you guys?"

"I got excellent luck!" Hinami beamed, which Hide answered with a sound expressing unfairness.

"I got bad luck," Touka glared at the paper as she read through the rest. "Really?"

Kaneki smiled at her, and lifted his paper for her to look. "I got bad luck too."

With his words, Touka's glare disappeared, and she couldn't help smiling back. How was it that she and Kaneki were always pulled together one way or another? It couldn't have been coincidence.

"Well, you lovebirds have a lot to work on!" Hide said, making the couple's faces turn red. "Also, you two blush a lot. Have you noticed that?"

Hinami giggled, but Kaneki and Touka just averted everyone's gaze and kept walking. The shrine behind them was still brimming with people, and it would probably be that way for the next two days. Even though Anteiku's members weren't big on celebrations, going to the shrine was a tradition they didn't miss.

They parted ways with Hide when he turned in the direction of his home, and the rest arrived at Anteiku shortly. The adults were already waiting for them, since they had gone earlier in the morning while the younger ones had stayed with Hide after he fell asleep. Even if it was past noon, Kaneki still felt tired from the night before.

Touka sat with him on the couch of the living room at the back of the café. It was still chilly inside, so they each had a warm blanket wrapped around them to keep the heat. Gradually, Kaneki's eyes were closing, but before he could fall asleep, Touka spoke.

"I prayed for us."

Kaneki opened his eyes, sitting up properly to look at her. He met her warm eyes with a little surprise at first, but then relaxed with both relief and contentment.

"I did too, Touka-chan," he told her with sincerity. "For us, and for Anteiku."

Touka hugged her knees close to her, partly because of the cold and partly because she was relieved Kaneki had prayed for the same things she had. Long ago she had discovered that she wanted to be with Kaneki forever, in good times and bad times, no matter what obstacles came in their way. After everything they had been through, it was hard to remember how her life had been like before they met.

Aside from this, Touka used to think that trouble would always be in their way and that there would always be evil lurking nearby to haunt them, but now that feeling was gone. For some reason, it was gone. She was positive of it.

"By the way," she said with a tiny smile. "I did hear what Hide said to you on the way to the shrine."

The boy almost jumped up from his seat, his eyes widening. "Y-you did?"

Touka could only laugh at his reaction, and she hit him lightly with a cushion. "So what, you don't want a long life with me and little baby ghouls?"

Kaneki's face heated up instantly, and he turned away quickly. His hands were covering his face as he let out a groan. "Damn you, Hide," he muttered.

Touka was grinning from ear to ear. With a laugh, she scooted closer to him and gave him a hug, burying her face in his neck. Kaneki was aware his heart was racing and wondered if she could feel it too.

"It's okay, Kaneki," she said. Still smiling, she accommodated herself so that she was leaning on his shoulder, snuggled up against him. "That doesn't seem like a bad future to me at all."

Her voice had softened, and Kaneki slowly removed his hands from his face. His heartbeat slowed down as he relaxed, and he found himself embracing Touka and sharing her warmth.

"I agree, Touka-chan," he said with the same soft tone. "I agree." Touka fell asleep first, and a minute later Kaneki was sleeping too.

Together they dreamed the same dream. A dream of their future filled with happiness for the days to come.

**A/N: Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukah and a happy new year to all! I wish happiness to every single one of you and want to thank you for keeping up with this story. **

**Now, I'm going to be honest with you. I've really enjoyed writing this fic, but I would like to end this story. However, I wanted to ask you about it first. Would you prefer: for the story to end here, more chapters, or an epilogue?**

**Please let me know what you think and thank you once again for everything!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hi everyone! I'm back! I know, I know, I'm the worst...I'm very aware that my last update was in January and that I really should've written at least one chapter during this year. I'm really sorry :( **

**Summer was super busy and now, I'm in college (aghhh!). I guess it was just really hard to find a time to sit down and write something without forcing it. I apologize in advance if this chapter sounds a little forced, so feel free to suggest any changes or anything else you would like me to add from here.**

**But anywho, if you're still here, thank you so, so much for your patience. And THANK YOU to those who have reviewed! You make my day 3**

**Chapter 7**

It was July 1st and Kaneki was trying not to lose his mind. Touka's surprise birthday party was starting soon, and things hadn't exactly gone according to plan.

"I wonder what a birthday cake tastes like," Hinami said in wonder as she gazed at the pages of a party magazine. Next to her, the half-ghoul was cutting out decorations at the speed of light.

"Horrible," Nishiki said, leaning against the counter of the the coffee shop with his arms crossed. "Just like any other human food."

Kaneki looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "Nishio-san, if you were helping out we wouldn't be taking so long." Around them, everyone had their hands on a task. Yomo and Koma were finishing up with the decorations on the walls, Irimi and Hinami were inflating balloons, and Yoshimura was arranging the counter with the presents and the coffee.

Nishiki chuckled. "Relax, kid. We're almost done. Besides, _I'm_ the one who sent Touka away so this could be a surprise. You should be thanking me."

"And you're sure she doesn't suspect a thing?" Hinami asked after tying up a balloon.

"Positive," the brunette nodded, fixing his glasses. Kaneki returned to his work with slight frustration. He hadn't meant to make all of this last minute, but it wasn't until today that everyone in Anteiku was free to help. Besides, he couldn't have done all the planning by himself. He just hoped Touka would be happy.

The door burst open and in came Hide, carrying a rolled up poster in his arms.

"_Konnichiwa,_ everyone!" he called with a wave. "Sorry I'm late!" He made his way through all the scattered materials on the floor and plopped on a chair in front of Kaneki and Hinami, while the others greeted him back.

"You're right on time," Irimi smiled from the other side of the room. "We still have thirty minutes until Touka gets back."

"What?" Kaneki jumped up in his seat.

Hide laughed and shook his head. "It'll be fine, Kaneki! Everything's looking great, so take it easy. And with this banner it's going to look even better." He placed the poster on the table and rolled it out all the way, until it almost reached the floor. _Happy Birthday Touka,_ the banner read, full of colors and designs that stood out beautifully.

Hinami gasped. "_Sugoi!_ It's perfect! I can't wait until onee-chan sees it."

"Thanks, Hide," Kaneki smiled at his best friend. "I owe you one."

"Nah, you don't owe me anything," Hide said with a grin. "But you could get me some cake, since we're not having any here."

The door was opened again, and this time it was Uta who came in, carrying a large bag behind his back.

"Yo," he said, shutting the door behind him. Hinami turned around with a beam.

"You brought the masks!" The girl ran over to Uta as he placed the bag on the floor, retrieving the decorative masks he had carved for the celebration. Hinami was in no time setting them up on the tables and on the counter.

Kaneki stood up and looked at the room around him with relief. He hadn't expected everything to turn out this nicely. The walls, the tables, and even the ceiling were full of colorful decorations, and the birthday banner was a perfect fit above the counter.

"Nice work, Kaneki," Koma congratulated him, awed by how well everything looked. "It's all thanks to you."

Kaneki shook his head. "Oh, I could've never done this by myself. You guys really worked hard on this."

"Yes, but it was your ideas and enthusiasm that made this possible," Yoshimura spoke warmly from behind the counter. Kaneki smiled. He was glad he could be of help if it meant giving Touka a nice birthday.

…

"That baka," Touka groaned as she walked back to Anteiku. Nishio had practically made her search all over the city for a specific coffee brand that was almost nonexistent in Tokyo. She could've refused, but she decided to play along with it and follow his orders.

Touka wasn't stupid. She knew they were planning a surprise party for her. Nishio's mistake had been to tell her not to arrive before a specific time. After that, someone had left a party magazine in the couch on the living room when she got back from school. And Hide had been pretty obvious about it too.

_Oh well, I guess I'll just go with it,_ Touka thought. Besides, if it meant spending her birthday with Kaneki, then she was happy to fake a surprise. It was her first birthday with him, after all.

Suddenly, something made her stop in her tracks. A few feet from her, she saw a figure disappear into the shadows. He had been standing next to the trees, but vanished too quickly for her eye to take in every detail. Taller, bulkier, and very, very familiar.

Touka shook her head. No, she couldn't have seen what she thought she had seen. Yet, she couldn't shake off the fact that the person had blue hair like she did. Or had that been her imagination?

It didn't make sense that it was Ayato. He was with Aogiri Tree now, so why would he be randomly wandering the streets at night? Touka sighed. She managed to convinced herself that she was just tired, and continued on with her way.

…

"_Surprise!"_ everyone shouted the second Touka opened the door to the coffee shop.

Touka gasped, trying hard to seem surprised, as her family hovered over her. They all congratulated her and pointed out how Kaneki had planned everything. Kaneki flushed at this, but Touka just smiled at him.

"Happy birthday, Touka-chan," Kaneki said caringly, and she instantly gave him a hug. The boy gladly returned the embrace.

"This is wonderful, Kaneki," Touka said. "Thank you so much." Although she had known about the party, she was definitely happy about it.

Kaneki pulled away with a smile. "We have another surprise for you."

"Huh?" she raised an eyebrow. However, she gasped for real when she saw Yoriko waving at her from behind the crowd. With a grin, she went over to her best friend and gave her a hug too. Now _this_ had been unexpected.

"_Omedetoo, _Touka-chan!" her friend said, holding a gift bag in her hand.

"Yoriko," Touka beamed. "I'm so happy to see you here."

"Your boyfriend was kind enough to invite me to your party!" Yoriko replied. She leaned in closer to her as if to tell her a secret, and lowered her voice. "Hey, I think I approve of him now." Touka smirked as she remembered the time when Yoriko saw Kaneki in her room for the first time.

"I wanted to bake you a cake so badly," Yoriko continued. "But he kept saying that you were on a diet and wouldn't eat anything sweet."

"Oh! That," Touka said, thanking Kaneki in her mind for coming up with that. "Yeah, I started a few days ago-"

"Which is why I made you this!" the brunette opened the gift bag and pulled out a pretty bento box. "These are all sweet but very healthy snacks with little sugar in them. You're going to love them."

Touka winced internally but smiled anyway. "Thanks, Yoriko. You didn't have to." _So much for being on a diet,_ she thought.

For the rest of the night, Touka needed nothing else than the company of her loved ones. Even though Yoriko was a little avoidant of Uta and found it strange that there were no snacks, she quickly accepted these facts. Touka was also secretly glad that Hide was there to make the party seem more normal, since he was human, after all.

All of sudden, in the middle of their chat, the door of Anteiku burst open. Touka's eyes widened in horror as she saw none other than Tsukiyama walk inside. A collective sound of disapproval arose from the room.

"_Amore_!" Tsukiyama exclaimed dramatically. "Having a party, I see. Without inviting me?"

Far from the door, Kaneki grabbed Hide's arm and pulled him close. "Hide, take Yoriko to the back," he whispered with urgency.

"What? Who is this guy?" Hide whispered back as he eyed the strange individual at the door.

"Just do it," Kaneki said. "He might give away who we are."

Hide nodded with a determined look and went over to Yoriko, then casually led her away from the room to "show her the rest of the shop."

"Now, what is that smell?" Tsukiyama said after taking a whiff. "Does it smell like human in here? I can't deny I'm in a mood for a snack right now."

"What the hell?" Touka spat. She stormed over to stand in front of Tsukiyama, her eyes on the verge of turning red. "First you ruined my date with Kaneki, and now my birthday too?"

Nishiki was already on his feet. "What do you think you're doing?" he snapped. "Get out of here!"

"Touka," Yoshimura spoke, trying to get her to calm down. Touka, of course, was not going to calm down.

"You keep thinking you can just walk in here as if it were your house," she ranted. "This is _my_ party and you're not invited."

"My heart breaks at your disdain for me, Kirishima-san," Tsukiyama sighed heavily, not really paying attention to what she was saying. His eyes travelled across the room and he winked at Kaneki. Kaneki stiffened.

"She doesn't want you here," Yomo jeered, clearly ready to take any action if it was necessary. Irimi and Koma were also alert, and Hinami moved closer to Kaneki to feel safer.

"Oh, but Kirishima-san," Tsukiyama said. "I thought your brother would also be here."

Touka paused. The rest of Anteiku was also taken aback, but Touka kept her stance. Why the hell would he say something like that? What was he doing? Well, he was crazy anyway. But then, what about the person she saw on her way back?

"What are you talking about?" she glared at him. She felt Kaneki move to her side, and his presence helped ease her tension. He was there for her. That never failed to make her feel better.

The gourmet man had a mischievous look on his face. "There have been whispers about Aogiri Tree here in the 20th Ward. I thought if I let you know, Kaneki would finally accept me as part of your family."

Touka kept her scowl on her face. As the rest of the room burst into a discussion, Touka couldn't help pondering over it. Maybe he was telling the truth, maybe he wasn't. ALso, was this good news or bad news? Probably bad news. She scoffed.

"My idiot brother can do what he wants with his life," Touka said finally. "And that's not of your concern."

As the ghoul watched Nishiki, Yomo, and Koma drag Tsukiyama out of the shop, she felt Kaneki's hand in hers. She turned to him and met his sympathetic look. At the end of the day, Ayato was her brother, and she wasn't completely heartless about him. Sometimes, her anger simply overpowered the care she forgot she had.

"He'll only ruin your birthday if you let him, Touka," Kaneki spoke, a kind look on his face. "Let's just enjoy the rest of the party."

Touka sighed, but nodded. "You're right." Her smile returned to her face. "Thank you for all of this, Kaneki. Really."

Kaneki smiled back, and together they forgot about their worries once again. All they could do was live in the moment and keep looking ahead.

…

Ayato stood next to a tree near the coffee shop, observing its happenings from a concealed spot. Today was his sister's birthday. He could see the celebration clearly, but he himself was impossible to be seen from that angle. In his mind, he debated over and over again if he should knock on their door.

He had to talk to Touka. He was going to talk to her, even if she didn't want to listen. She probably wouldn't even believe him if he were to tell her he had changed. But it was worth the try, right?

With a sigh, he disappeared into the night once again.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Happy holidays everyone! Hope you all had a great winter break and that this year is full of great stuff for you.**

**I've decided there will still be a few more chapters to go, so it's not the end quite yet! I can't promise I'll update frequently, but I can promise that I know where this story is going and that I won't abandon it, no matter how long it takes (hopefully it won't be that long…)**

**Anyway, thank you for stopping by and for all of your reviews!**

**Chapter 8**

"Well, that was fun," Touka said as she swept confetti off the floor, gathering it in a neat pile next to the trash.

"It really was." Kaneki kneeled on the floor and closed the last box of decorations, then looked up at the ghoul. "You didn't have to help with the cleanup, Touka-chan. It was your party, after all."

"Oh, no worries," the girl replied. Everyone had finished cleaning up their portion of the room and Kaneki and Touka were the only ones left. As usual, Kaneki didn't mind doing most of the cleaning. He was happy as long as he could help, and of course, have Touka on his side.

Now that the room was finally back in order, Kaneki stood up and brushed some dust off his pants. Touka had definitely enjoyed the party, and he was glad things had turned out well. However, he knew Tsukiyama's words had bothered her. As much as Touka tried to hide it, she couldn't hide it from him. But he wasn't going to push the subject if she didn't want to.

It already late at night and life outside was beginning to die down. It was so calm, with only a few city noises coming from the streets. With this tranquility, Touka's mind couldn't help but wander off to her memories. She was a year older now, and so many things had happened.

Touka sat down on one of the chairs, sighing. "Time has gone by so fast. Even today I still can't believe we've gone through so much." She smiled. "To think I even got to celebrate my birthday."

Kaneki nodded. "I know," he sat down on the nearest chair, returning the smile. "I know." It seemed like a long, long time ago since Kaneki had turned into a ghoul, or since they had been fighting doves, and especially since he had been captured by Yamori. Kaneki barely even thought of it now, though every once in a while he would get an unpleasant flashback. He had learned it control it, though, and it didn't bother him much anymore.

"We're really lucky, Touka-chan," he continued. "I know I have much to be grateful for."

Touka smiled. She had even more to be grateful for. Kaneki was part of her life, Anteiku was safe and sound, and their problems were mostly trivial. There was nothing more she could ask for.

A knock on the door startled them both. Touka turned to the direction of the sound, but Kaneki was already on his feet to open it. It's probably Hide, he thought, since he had found his friend's wallet on the floor. He really should be more careful with his stuff.

When Kaneki opened the door, he froze. It wasn't Hide who was on the other side.

"Hey," a mature and laidback voice spoke to him.

Touka, who was in hearing range, almost jumped in her seat, her eyes slowly widening. No way, she thought. No, that's not possible. But she would've recognized that voice anywhere. The girl stood up and pivoted to face the door, her eyes meeting Ayato's from the doorway.

Kaneki had stepped aside with narrowed eyes, and Ayato took a step forward. "Happy birthday, little sister," he said to her.

Touka answered him with a piercing glare, her stance ready in case she had to attack. "What are you doing here?" Ayato was about to take another step, but her voice made him pause. "And don't you dare walk inside."

Her older brother sighed, though his tone was relaxed. "I knew you would react this way. Hell, I don't blame you."

"What do you want, Ayato?" Kaneki asked. "Why are you in Anteiku?"

"Are you here to attack us again?" Touka demanded. "We're done with Aogiri. Don't you ever get tired of all of your crap?"

Ayato lifted his hands as if to declare his innocence, cautiously walking in the shop. "Look, I know you don't trust me, and I know you have no reason to believe anything I say. But if I had wanted to attack you I would've just broken in the way I did last time."

"How do we know you're not lying?" Kaneki moved over to Touka's side. "Aogiri could be one their way here for all we know."

"This could all just be a trap," Touka agreed. "So I suggest you leave now before I kick you out."

The blue-haired boy sighed again. He had been expecting this. Someone as stubborn as his sister wouldn't change her mind so easily. There was only one way to prove that he was there in peace.

"I'm sorry," he said. His eyes looked directly at Touka, who had a look of sheer surprise on her face. "I'm sorry, sister. For everything."

Touka stared at her brother. Ayato, apologizing? Had she heard him right? There was no way he meant that. Yet, his eyes were unwavering, his gaze still. He could feel Kaneki looking at her, but she herself wasn't sure of what to do.

"You can't be serious," she answered slowly. Though, she knew Ayato was too proud to apologize even as a joke.

Ayato nodded. "I'm done with Aogiri Tree. Yes, I did get tired of all of my crap. That's why I'm here. Tell me how I can prove it to you."

"You're sorry," Touka said simply. Kaneki looked at her, and saw in her an expression he had never seen before.

"Touka-chan…" he spoke, afraid of what he was seeing.

"You're _sorry?_" Touka's eyes gleamed viciously. "You brought Yamori into Anteiku! You followed him! Because you and your stupid gang, _Kaneki was tortured mercilessly by that freak!"_

Kaneki grabbed her shoulders the second she lunged at Ayato, holding her back as she fought her way out. "Touka!" he yelled as the girl desperately tried to tear free.

"It's your fault!" she howled. "It's all your fault! I hate you!"

An unstoppable rage absorbed her, and she ranted and ranted until her voice hurt. Ayato opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. She was right. There was nothing he could say or do that would make things right. The damage was done.

It wasn't until much later that Touka ran out of words. Instead, she cried. She cried and Kaneki was the only one keeping her on her feet so she wouldn't slump on the floor.

"You have every right to hate me," Ayato spoke quietly. "You can hate me, kill me if you want, if that'll make you feel better. I just want you to know that I'm not the same person anymore. And I'm sorry, whether you believe me or not. I'm really sorry."

Kaneki took these words in more than Touka did. The half-ghoul had made the decision long ago that he would leave the Aogiri incident in the past. He wasn't going to forgive them, but he was going to endure it. To let it go. If he spent the rest of his days holding a grudge, he would never be happy. Instead he had chosen to spend his days happily with his new and peaceful life. He was sure Touka would do it when she was ready.

"Just leave," Touka managed to say. Her voice sounded forced, exhausted. "Please. Just get out."

Ayato nodded. "If that's what you want."

He was gone before Kaneki could turn to him again. There had been pain in his voice. Kaneki had heard it clearly, and Touka had too but had chosen to ignore it.

Ayato had done terrible things in the past, but for some reason, Kaneki believed him. He was different. The way he looked, the way he spoke, and even his facial expressions were different. He sensed no harsh feelings or hatred coming out of Ayato. He was just...him.

Kaneki held Touka in his arms, and she buried her face in his chest. She wasn't crying anymore, which eased Kaneki, but her anger and sadness combined was enough to make his heart ache. He hugged her tightly and kissed her head.

"It's okay, Touka-chan," he said gently. "Everything's okay."

Touka pulled away a little to look at him, eyes hurt. "I don't know, Kaneki. I don't even know what to think."

"You're tired," the boy said with sadness. "It's been a long night. Get some rest, and I promise you'll feel better in the morning."

Touka kissed him. All she wanted was to run far away from her problems, no matter how selfish it sounded. She wanted to forget everything, to be with Kaneki, to feel his comfort. Kaneki kissed her back, his hand parting her hair from her face and his thumb stroking her cheek. Now, it was his turn to be there for Touka. He would stay with her for as long as she needed, the same way she did for him. He loved her, and he was never going to abandon her.

...

A week had gone by and Touka had taken this time to reflect on the recent happenings. When she first saw Ayato, there had been no room for reasoning. She was too busy feeling angry and all she had wanted was to hurt him, the same way he had hurt all of them. Now that she was more calm, she was ready to talk to him.

Kaneki had been there for her the entire time. It was really thanks to him that she was feeling better, even willing to go talk to her brother. She deserved a fair explanation from him anyway.

Ayato gazed at the city of Tokyo from the bridge. He drew back when he heard his sister's steps approaching, already knowing it was her.

Touka stood in front of him, arms crossed. "Talk," she said.

He could tell she was still upset, but the fact that she was willing to listen filled him with relief.

"I was an idiot," Ayato said first, knowing that's exactly what she wanted to hear.

Touka nodded. "I'm sure we both agree on that."

"So let me explain why," Ayato proceeded. "You already know I joined Aogiri to become more powerful." His gaze lowered. "When Dad was killed, I changed. I hated humans, and wished we had never mingled with them. I always blamed them for everything. Then I left Anteiku because I was sick of pretending to be peaceful. All I felt was anger, resentment, hatred. It burned inside me all the time."

He chuckled humorlessly. "Kaneki reminded me so much of Dad. When I saw him, I hated him for being a weakling. At least, he seemed like a weakling to me. I know I called you weak before too, because you also reminded me of Dad, and because you kept interacting with humans when we grew up. It convinced me even more that I had to be stronger. Still, I was always that 'softest' one of Aogiri. They always knew I was different.

"Touka, the reason why I joined Aogiri was to protect you. Maybe I didn't know it before but I know it now. I didn't want you to be killed. I thought the only way to protect you was by joining Aogiri. Before, I would've never even admitted this to myself." He turned back to the city view and placed his hands on the bridge. "Although I'm sorry, I'm not asking you to forgive me. You don't have to if you don't want to. I just wanted you to know the truth."

Touka had no words. All she could do was look at her brother, trying to decide what to think about him. As he contemplated the city, he looked younger. He no longer looked like the hot-heated, arrogant brat he usually was, which filled her with a strange sense of melancholy.

"Ayato," she said. The boy turned to her, not sure of what she would do. "If you come to Anteiku, will Aogiri Tree hunt you down?"

His eyes grew a little in surprise. "They may, but it's unlikely. I left a fake trail behind in case they wanted follow me. If they come near Anteiku, it'll be the end of them."

For the first time, Touka managed a small smile. "I'll make sure of that."

Ayato smirked. Now that Touka looked at him, she only saw a boy. A boy of fifteen who had lost his way, who had come back to mend his mistakes. Wasn't she just a girl too?

"Happy birthday to you too, by the way," Touka said. She hadn't forgotten his birthday was just three days after hers.

"Thanks," Ayato answered, though he didn't actually care about his birthday. He fixed his eyes on her. "You've changed too. You seem more...peaceful. Obviously not when you yelled at me, but overall, you look like you're happier."

Touka shrugged. "A lot has happened since Kaneki came to Anteiku. It's because to him I've grown, I guess."

"That Kaneki," Ayato shook his head slightly, looking back at his sister. It was just like the old times, when they talked like civil individuals. Deep down, he missed that.

He took a deep breath. "So, what happens now?"

The blue-haired girl had made her decision. "Come back to Anteiku."

Ayato's eyes widened. "For real?"

Touka nodded, finally allowing herself to open up to her lost brother. "Anteiku is a peaceful place now," she continued. "If anything comes to disturb that peace, we'll be ready."

Now, it was her brother who shifted his smirk to a smile. Ayato really hadn't expected a warm welcome, but this still exceeded his expectations. Both he and his sister had grown. Now, they were ready to start over and leave their past behind.

"Let's go," Touka said, and she spun around and began to walk. Ayato followed.

"Thanks, sister," he said softly from behind.

Touka smiled.


End file.
